February 8, 2017

Turnout still low, but up in Albuquerque school board election

Yesterday Albuquerque voters turned out in (relatively) big numbers for the Albuquerque Public Schools Board election. In some districts of the city, voter turnout was nearly twice what it was in the 2013 election, the last time the same districts were up for grabs.

Turnout ended at 6.6 percent of eligible voters for APS races. None of the school board races were particularly close, with all four winners clearing 50 percent in races with between four and six candidates.

In District 1, incumbent Lorenzo Garcia won with 3,221 votes in the unofficial results, which came to 65.08 percent of the vote. The next closest candidate was Amy Legant, with 862 votes, or 17.42 percent. Garcia narrowly won in 2013 in a three-way race, getting 37.67 percent of the vote.

In District 5, which became an open seat after Steven Michael Quezada moved to the Bernalillo County Commission, Candelaria “Candy” Patterson easily won with 1,023 votes, or 56.8 percent. Kayla Renee Marshall received the second most votes, with 484, or 26.87 percent.

District 6 had the largest field, with six candidates vying for the position. Elizabeth A. Armijo outstripped the field, with 2,622 votes, or 53.27 percent. No other candidate received over 20 percent of the vote.

In District 7, David Eugene Peercy won a third term, with 4,219 votes in the four-way race, good for 64.06 percent. Brian David Tierney received 1,767 votes, or 26.83 percent.

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CNM board

Five seats on the Central New Mexico Community College board were also up for grabs.

Pauline J. Garcia won in District 1, defeating Robert Chavez, Thomas E. Swisstack won in District 3 unopposed, Annette Chavez y de la Cruz won in District 4 over Melissa D. Armijo, Nancy A. Baca defeated Gina Naomi Dennis in District 5 and Michael J. Glennon defeated Harold W. Murphree in District 7.

Turnout up

Each APS board district received far more votes than in 2013.

In District 3, 4,949 voters cast ballots this year compared to 2,604 in 2013. Write-in votes in the district will be added at the canvass.

In District 5, 1,801 voters cast ballots in 2017, compared to 1,026 in 2013, though in 2013 there was only one candidate on the ballot.

In District 6, 4,622 voters cast ballots this year compared to 3,637 in 2013.

District 7 saw the largest increase with 6,616 voters casting ballots compared to 3,878 in 2013.

All numbers in this year’s election are unofficial. The Albuquerque Public Schools and Central New Mexico Community College Canvassing Board will meet on Friday.

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Matthew Reichbach is the editor of the NM Political Report. The former founder and editor of the NM Telegram, Matthew was also a co-founder of New Mexico FBIHOP with his brother and part of the original hirings at the groundbreaking website the New Mexico Independent. Matthew has covered events such as the Democratic National Convention and Netroots Nation and formerly published, “The Morning Word,” a daily political news summary for NM Telegram and the Santa Fe Reporter.Matthew has appeared as a panelist for the Society of Professional Journalists’ New Mexico Chapter’s panel on covering New Mexico politics and the legislature.A native New Mexican from Rio Rancho, Matthew’s family has been in New Mexico since the 1600s.